Photo Credit:

Matt Perko

Nicole Poletto, a master’s degree candidate, had her eyes on UC Santa Barbara’s Bren School of Environmental Science & Management ever since she completed her undergraduate degree.

“I wanted to continue my involvement in environmental education and community outreach but expand my understanding of the intersection between science, business, policy, economics, and management” she said. “I am especially interested in the social aspects of science and management and how to add an educational component, specifically with students K-12.”

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Transferring to UC Santa Barbara from Visalia, California, in the fall of 2015, psychology major and applied psychology minor Abbi Gregory immediately became involved in the campus community.

“Being a transfer student and competing for research opportunities with people who have been here their whole time was difficult,” she said. However, she successfully traversed the roadblocks and made her own opportunities. One of the mentors she credits for helping her through those roadblocks was Angie Tai, her work supervisor at UCSB’s Residential & Community Living. “She genuinely cared about my...

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Not sure what machine learning, artificial intelligence or natural language processing entails? CCS computing student Daniel Spokoyny can break it down for you. From his freshman year living in Anacapa Hall till now, as he prepares for his next big chapter as a Ph.D. candidate at Carnegie Mellon University, Daniel encompasses some of the most important qualities of being a Gaucho: a dedication to learning and an adventurous spirit.

Photo Credit:

Spencer Bruttig

Meet Madeline Dippel, a mechanical engineer from Santa Rosa, California, graduating from the UC Santa Barbara College of Engineering with honors and a university distinction. Madeline set out to realize her dream of becoming a mechanical engineer from a young age. “It was honestly my dream since I was 8 years old to be a technical engineer,” she said. “I was able to really gain an education here at UCSB. I worked hard to become the engineer that I always wanted to be.”

When asked why she chose mechanical engineering, she said: “It’s what I’ve always wanted to do. It’s a very versatile type of...

Photo Credit:

Matt Perko

UC Santa Barbara undergraduate student Mark Perry has a story to tell. His life before UCSB included drug addiction, prison time and many different jobs. It also included the birth of his lovely daughter. It was at that point 11 years ago that he decided to turn his life around. He has since overcome incredible challenges and worked very hard in his classes, and he is now on his way to becoming a social worker. The 48-year-old UCSB student was born and raised in Ventura and has been making the commute from there to the university for the last...

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Spencer Bruttig

There’s a lot more to art history than memorizing artists, dates and locations, and graduating senior Rocio Iribe can attest to that. This history of art and architecture major, with an emphasis on architecture and environment, has an eye for design and a love for her community. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, Rocio returned to school, attending Santa Monica City College. Upon her acceptance to UC Santa Barbara, she realized it was time to pursue her passion for art.

Having spent eight years in the Marine Corps, Rocio was excited to return to Southern California....

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Bret Rodriguez

Originally from Arroyo Grande, California, Chance Adkins is a nationally ranked fencer and a psychology major heading to Yale to earn his Ph.D. He was first introduced to fencing at UC Santa Barbara’s annual Spring Insight event prior to his freshman year. But it wasn’t until the spring quarter of his sophomore year that he became involved in the sport. After taking an exercise course at UCSB, he met the team coach and was instantly hooked.

He quickly learned the basics and eventually specialized in sabre, one of three types of fencing. Within a year, he...

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Terry Wimmer

Some may say it was purely coincidence that Alijah Rivera ended up at UC Santa Barbara; others may say it was fate. Driving from his hometown of Cerritos, up the California coast, through Henley Gate, and onto campus for the first time, Alijah had a gut feeling that told him that he was in the right place. Taking in the ocean views, he knew that he wanted to call UCSB home for the next four years.

Photo Credit:

Matt Perko

Language, literacy and composition, oh my! Meet Kyle Crocco, a doctoral student in the Gevirtz School Graduate School of Education with an emphasis on teaching and learning. Kyle came to UCSB after earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in history at Penn State and his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in French at the University of Delaware. Before arriving at our beachside campus to pursue his Ph.D., Kyle put his education to work by going into education; he has taught...

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Matt Perko

As a Ph.D. candidate in the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, Lois Harmon has excelled during her time at UC Santa Barbara. She first enjoyed a glimpse into life at UCSB while visiting from Florida as part of a summer scholars research program. She enjoyed her time at UCSB so much that she decided to take her studies to the next level. Since arriving, she has excelled in her research and in building a community by actively engaging with the campus, faculty and students.

During her time on campus, Lois became the Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship president, a role that positioned her to help...

Photo Credit:

Matt Perko

Think you know the Most Interesting Man in the World? We bet UCSB’s Quincy Lee will give that guy a run for his money. Meet Quincy, a graduating senior in the honors geography program at UC Santa Barbara, with a minor in professional writing on the science communication track. During Quincy’s four years here, his interest in oceanography has driven him to travel the world by sea, sail up and down the Amazon River and lifeguard at his local beaches in Palos Verdes. Combining his love for traveling with his passion for storytelling, Quincy applied...